For businesses large and small, relying on a cloud-based collaboration and productivity suite such as Microsoft Office 365 is becoming the norm. Enhancing productivity in your organisation is vital to get ahead in 2017 - and using Office 365 can help, if it's used right...

PwC Consulting looks to outsourcing

Spun-off firm to expand with new identity

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Consulting is planning to offer a new range of IT outsourcing deals, following its announcement last week that it is to spin off from its parent's auditing business.

The company said that it hopes the move will establish its impartiality and encourage customers to use its IT outsourcing services. PwC Consulting will now have its own distinct identity and may even take a new name.

The move will allow it to expand into the operating side of outsourcing, explained David Dockray, European managing partner at PwC Consulting.

"Our customers think of us as potential outsourcing suppliers already. We need to invest in our ability to deliver here," he said.

While many firms have used PwC to provide consultancy for IT projects, the newly set up arm is hoping to convince businesses that it is able to run IT systems on a client's behalf. "The partnership with EDS will be essential to this," said Dockray.

With demand for IT services still remaining sluggish, PwC Consulting would be offering new types of deals, said European business development leader Noel Taylor.

Some of these deals will involve reducing consultancy fees in exchange for developing partnerships to run the systems, he explained. "We are examining ways of providing services that will appeal to customers," said Taylor, adding that once the consultancy arm is spun-off it will have a distinct identity.

But while it may be keen to demonstrate its independence, PwC Consulting is unlikely to repeat the public acrimony caused by the split between Accenture and Arthur Andersen.

"We have a close relationship with the audit side, and it will remain a key partner for us after the split," said Taylor.

He hinted that there may be a name change, but said that it would be a challenge to "maintain the brand while stressing our independence".